Process of making non-coagulable albuminoids.



No. 655,060. Patented luly 3|, i900,

A. GLASSEN.

PROCESS OF MAKING NON-GOAGULABLE ALBUMINOI DS.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1898.)

NITED STATES PATENT Ormcs.

ALEXANDER QLASSENLOF AlX-LA-CHAPELLE, GERMANY.

A PROCESS OF MAKING NON-COAGULABLE ALBUMINOIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 655,060, dated July 31, 1900. Application filed April 25, 1898. Serial N 678,765. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER OLAssEN,

a citizen of Germany, residing. at Aix-la-Ohapelle, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Process of Manufacturing Non- Coagulable Albuminous Bodies from Meat, Blood, &c., ofwhich the following is a specification.

Attempts to liquefy albuminous bodies by heat and steam-pressure have since Wohlersfirst experiments been repeated by many others in various ways. Gmelin, Mulder, Hoppe-Seyler, N eumeister, and others have especially interested themselves in this question. entific point of view the changes which the albuminous bodies undergo by this treatment,

others, particularly in later years, have con sidered rather the practical purposes to which this process may be put in the manufactureof food. Most of the former experiments resemble each other in that the reaction took place ata high temperature (ordinarily at 150 centigrade, sometimes up to 200 centig'rade) and at that steampressure which corresponded with the temperature in question. Thus the results were nearly the same, as it was found that the albuminous bodies under the above mentioned conditions generally underwent a profund change. According to the temperature and the duration of the treatment a brown acid solution, which often smelled like burned horn, was-obtained. Obviously such a solution could not be used as food. The manufacture of food was therefore generally restricted to the application of the natural digestive enzymes, both of animal and plant origin,'(pepsin, trypsin, papayotin, &c.,).by means of which the so called meat peptones are prepared; but these also contain the albumen in an advanced state of alteration, generally in the form of peptone. Many of these preparations are a great improvement on the original meat extracts, (which, as is known, contain no albumen at all,) inasmuch as they are a step nearer to the complete utilization of the meat fibrin which is rejected in 'the manufacture of extracts. Such peptones are ofiered for sale under the names of concentrated or i perfect foods, fluid meat, and the like.

I have now found that it is possible to con- While some have examined from a sci,-.

sponds with the temperature in question,

while in the experiments mentioned before the pressure was obtained by increasing the temperature, by which process, as hasbeen pointed out, albumen undergoes a profound change. If, for instance, the aqueous solution of a coagulable albumen (from eggs, serum, meat, fish, plants, &c.) is heated to a temperature only a few degrees higher than that of coagulation, or even higher, (coagulation of albumen, as is known, is dependent on its nature and on the presence of other substances,) and at the same time subjected .to a high pressure,(under a pressure of about thirty to forty atmospheres, or even higher, the conversion takes place in ashort time,) an incoagulable solution of albumen is obtained. The same is perfectly colorless and opalescent. Evaporated to dryness atalow temperature, it leaves a yellowish-white leafy mass of a silky luster,non-hygroscopic,perfectly soluble in water, and in dilute solutions not 00- agulable by heating. Under the same circumstances coagulable albumens instead of being in solution may also be treated in an air-dried (not perfectly dry) condition. In this way it is' now possible to liquefy without peptonization the meat ablumen, (which is identical with white of egg,) together with several points. According to thelopinion of an authority in physiology the soluble meat fibrin is an intermediate body betweengenuine albumens and the albumoses of digestion, and its nutritive value is equivalent to that of genuine albumen.

I have now found that for conserving the original character of the albuminous bodies it is necessary to produce the pressure by means of such gases which will not peptonize nor precipitate the albuminous bodies. As to the use of air this gas is not suitable, for several reasons: first, its oxygen would produce a partial peptonization of the albuminous bodies, and, moreover, it would be necessary to purify it and to free it, from carbon dioxide. When carbon dioxide is used for producing pressure, carbonic acid is I formed in the liquid, and the whole quantity to stand for one hour and then filtered and pressed through a linen cloth. The residue is heated once more with water in the same manner. If the complete extraction is not required, it will suflice to press out the meat in a squeezing-machine. The solution obtained is then heated in an autoclave, provided with a stirring apparatus, at from 80 to 125 centigrade underapressureot' nearlv thirtv atmospheres until transformation is complete. (The duration of the operation depends on the degree of concentration of the liquid.)

An apparatus suitable for the purpose is' shown in section in the accompanying draw-'- ing. A is a vessel of iron or other suitablei metal surrounded in part by a steam-jacket? B and provided with an air-tight cover O. Through this cover there are openings for the valve D, which admits the pressure -fluid, the stirring device K, the thermometer E, and the Z manometer F. The pipes G and H serve for the passage of steam to and from the jacket 13. If albumen is to be previously separated from the basic compounds and salts,it is pro-g cipitated from the solution by heating and then converted into the soluble modification by means of pressure. The pressure,as above by the decomposition of fat.)

'ed as described under Example 2.

mentioned, must be effected bycompressing into the vessel an appropriate gas or liquid of any kind. The solution obtained in this manner is evaporated to dryness in flat pans or more rapidly in vacuo. Id'presence of small quantities of fata small quantity of an alkali carbonate or another compound of similar action is added to the solution.

Coagulable albumens in general behave like soluble meat albumen. They are converted into the non-coagulable modification,as above described, either in a solid or a liquid-condition or suspended in water.

Example 2: The insoluble residue which remains after the treatment of meat with-water consists,asis known, chieflyof meat fibrin, gelatin, and fat. To convert the fibrin freed from gelatinous substances into the soluble modification, the method described in Example 1 can generally beapplied. A small quantity of alkali carbonate or magnesia (about one gram of the latter per kilo) is added in order to preventthe formation of free acids',(caused The solution of fibrin separated by filtration from fat (and it may be from magnesia) is treated in the same manner as under Example 1 The pres= sure can be produced in the same manner as under Example 1. Fibrins of any other origin are treatedin the same manner as meat fibrin.

Example 3: In applying this process to meat without separating the soluble constituents one-half or one liter of water, with a sufficient quantity of alkali carbonate, mag-ne sia, or similar compounds, is added to one kilo of meat, and the whole mixture is treat- As the gelatinous substances of meat are easily transformed into peptone a certain quantity of the latter will always be found in the product.

Having thus described the nature of this invention and the best'means I know for carrying the same into practical effect, I claim- The herein-described process of converting albuininous bodies into soluble albumen without peptoni ation, which consists in first heating albuminous bodies with water at a temperature between 80 and 125 centigrade in an autoclave under pressure produced by hydrogen, said pressure being higher than that produced by the steam, and then evaporating the liquid at a low, temperature.

IIC

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER CLASSEN. Witnesses:

GORDON SCOTT, J EAN HECKMANNS. 

